Manufacture of welt-shoes.



J. PERCY, DE LYNN, MASSACEUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHE p llCHNERY COMPANY, 0F PATERSON,

NEW JERSEY.

MANUFACTURE Original application filed September 9, 1910, Serial No. 581,129. )Divided and this application Serial No. 644,498.

ings, is a si'iecillcation, like reference chai actors on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and particularly Welt shoes and this application is a division 'oit application Serial No. 58171795 filed September 9, l9lO. ln making shoes oit this type an innersole used upon the bottom face of which :from the heel seat Mound the formiert, is raised by channeling or otheinvise7 a lip or shoulder and to the outer thee ot this lip the stretched or lasted upper is seweih together with the Welt by which the ontei'sole is later to he connected to the shoe. |lhe piocess of lash ing or stretchingthe upper over the last and Working it into position to 7tie-secured is usually accompanied or 'followed by the application of temporary fastening means' such as tacks `whichhold the upper While it awaits presentation to the sewing ma; chine. "With the 'upper niatci'ials of the rear portion of the shoe is included a. heel stiilienei the body portion o ii which stands np het-Ween the npper and lining; around the heel ot the Wearer`s toot and the flange olE which turned inwardly nn( r the toot. This stillmlor made of some slightly tieni, lilo material snch as stillT solo leather or leatl'fer-lmaid which is commonly prepared hy compressi on and molding: to rednce flexibility and increase shape rctainiif-lg qualities.

These processes and the nature of the noato al are such that the stillener is usually found to he hard and not readily penetrahle and to have a smooth surface.

' The attaching 'Ilangc ol2 the heel stii'lener molded, or hent in the lasting operation, to lio tlat down upon. the heel seat end ot' the innersole to which ,it is attached, ktogether with the lasted-over upper, hy lasting tacks. These tacks of the heel seat are pei'- inanent istenings, Ffully driven and clenched on the solo plate ol the last.,I as con trasted with the lasting; tacks of the shank and forepat which aie only partially driven Specification of Letters Patent.

NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION Oli' on wnnnsnlons.

Patented June il, 1915..

in anticipation of their Withdrawal when their temporary use has been fulfilled. The

wings or sides of the stiiener extend forV wardly beyond the heel seat and into the shank and the flange is included in the rear portion of the inseam, as the stitching 1s called, which connects the upper and the Welt to the innersole lip. ln practice dil-y cnlty has been 'encountered in' sewing the end portions of the inseam and in obtaining a snng` fitting of the upper of the finished shoe at these portions of each side ofthe shoe. The flange of the stiffener overlieys` v'tendency the operator changes the inclina-- tion at'which he holds the shoe in order to present the hard material more nearly`per-` pendicnlar to the path of the needle. In

thus changing the inclination of the Work;y

the shoe is fulcinined on the lower end of the channel guide, which is located at the inner side of the lip'7 and thereby the needle is also cansed to enter the stock higher up on the lip Whereas it should sew the stitch close down at the foot of the -lip in order to make a lirin connection With the innersole. The result is that the pressure applied to the` shoe in the heel attaching operation spieads thisloosely attached pojftion cans# ing a 1nis-shaping of the shoe atfthis point. Special machines have 'neen devised to tighten this stock over the last bottom7 Crush it down While held tightened and` tack it in place. Another dillicnlty is that in stitch4 lingr the first end of the inseam it is impracticahle to get the sewing` instrnmentalties into position to begin the inseam close up to the adjacent fully driven heel seat tack and again in stitching the last end of the inseam the channel guide encounters the t portion oi' the heel stifener flange that is led AugustA ated or very substantially reduced and the shoe is materially improved in appearance and strength and in accordance with a preferred practice ofthe invention, certain additional manufacturing advantages are secured which will be later explained.

In accordance with this invention the heel stifl'ener is shaped to present at the front portion of 'each wing an inturned flange and an upturned lip of substantially permanent form which lip and flange fit respectively Aupon the feather and against the outer face of the lip of the innersole at the time when the inseam stitching operation is performed. In order thus to shape the stiifener wings edectively, it appears to be necessary, because of the resistant character of the material of which the sti'eners and compress the material the shoe the flange of are usually formed, to subject the wings to molding pressure in a well known manner between members sufficiently rigid to bend to the required shape. In'lasting the stiffener is positioned upon the feather of the innersole with the lip of the stifi'ener as close as practicable to the lip of the .in nersole. .After thevlasting o eration the lip of the innersole and of t ve stiffener, together with the upper and the welt, are sewed together, the needle of the sewing machine passingsthrough the stidener lip in substantially ,perpendicular-relation to the plane of the lip, lip ofthe stiifener are thereby drawn' and held firmly in place so that there is no looseness ihthe lasted shoe at and near'the ends of the stiener. A

ln accordance with this invention, in a further novel aspect, the heel stifener is formed at each side of the heel with a normally upturned portion, `such `as the lip above referred to, arranged to indie te the point at which to begin or to end t e in-l seam. The rear end of the stiffener lip may conveniently serve as such an indication, and preferably at the rear -of each lip, at the point where the lip meets the rear flange of the stiifener, I form a slit extending from the edge inwardly the width ofthe lip whereby the lip is separatedfrom the ange in the rear of it and allowed to stand upl right while the flange lies down flat upon the heel seat. I preferably form these slits in the two ends of the stiener at points which will come under the heel of the shoe and they may conveniently be made before' the stiifener is molded or before the molding operation is completed in which case the` stiifener will be formed between the slits with a flange adapted to lie throughout its width upon the heel seat face of the inner sole and will be formedin front of said slits with. a flange of a width corresponding with the width of the feather of the innersole and with a lip shaped to `project at suband the' flange and the s The the channel guide of the sewing machine in the,

inseam sewing operation yand permits the inseam stitches to extend to the rear ends of the lips. In a lasted shoe made in accordance vwith this invention the slits or the rear ends of the upright lips of the stiffener are, moreover, visible or otherwise discernible. and preferably make' use of these slits or lip ends as the indication points to guide the inseam sewing machine operator in beginning and terminating the inseam. Thus, if these slits are made at a correct distance from the rear end ofthe stiflener, the operator is enabled to sew the shoes uniformly with respect to the ends lof theinseam.

The accompanying drawings illustrate how this invention may be practised.

Figure l is a. plan view of a shoe having the upper materials, including the novel heel stifencr, assembled on a last, parts being broken away to show the new features more clearly; Fig. 2 shows the shoe after onev side has been lasted and the other side lasted andv the welting operation commenced, the needle and the channel guide of the sewing apparatus being shown in operative relation to one another and to the work; Fig. 3 illustrates a portion of the last, heel stiffener, upper and welt showing the close fitting of the parts held by the inseam; Fig. .Ll shows the old conditions by way of contrast. l

The last is indicated at 2, the innersole at 'the flange is bent overA the edge of the shoe bottom in the lastingoperation. in either case the front portions or thewings of the stifener are providedwith upturned. lips 10 located inwardlyy vfrom the fold over the edge of the shoe bottom a distance equal 'to thewidth of the feather of the innersole. These 'lips l() extend baokwardly from the lfront ends of the wings as far as the lips ofthe innersole go and are formedt'o fit smoothly 'against the` outer face of said lips 5. The lip 1,0 may merge into the `margin of the rear portion of the flange by a bend in the material but preferably it is separated therefrom by a cut-or incision at l5.'

The shoe is assembled upon the last as usual andthe upper materials may be secured in assembled relation for the pullingover and lasting operation by tacks located 1 "it (i ideama' as shown in Fig. 1 or in any other suitable location. In the lasting operation the flange of the heel stitlener is lasted downnpon the heel seat end of the innersole and tacked7 Fig. 2, as usual and also is lasted down upon the feather of the innersole while the lips 10 are lasted firmly up against the outer` face of the innersole lips The lipped formation of the flange enables it to conform closely to the angular faces of the feather and lip of the innersole instead of bridging from the innersole edgev to the top of the lip as heretofore. When the shoe is presented to the welterfor sewing the inseam the needle 16 approaches the hard material of the heel stilfener lip 10 in a direc tion substantial ly perpendicular to the plane of said lip and readily penetrates it. The lasting of the upper and the stiflener flange down into the angle between the feather and .lip of the innersole permits the stitches to be sewed down in said angle so that a' connection'of the parts of the shoe by these stitches is made which is as firm as or firmer than that at any other portion of the inseam. The opstanding lips 10, particularly when bound into place by the stitches, form an effectual stilfener for the shank of the shoe because of the welleknown resistance offered by still' sheet material to Ybending edgewise. The incisions facilitate the commencement of the inseam with a stitch located at the very end of the lips 5 and `10 and close to the vheel seat tack. The incision on the second side of the shoe where 'the in seam is ended enables 'the channel guide 18 topass without obstruction out of the inner channel of the innersole and over. 'the portion of the stiffener flange which has'lbeen vtacked down. This prevents the channel guide from prying up the heel `seat tack heretofore and also it enables the inseam "to be continued to the end of the lips 5 and 1() thus attaching the upper completely witb-l out the interval which has been necessary between the tack and the last stitch and which required the insertion of an upper fastening tach after the inseam. sewing operation. 'lnasmuch as the operator has notbeen obliged to tip the shoe down over the channel guide as a fulcrum in order to present the work so that the needle would penetrate the stock .instead of sliding along the hard stiliener the stitches have been located close down vat the base of the innersole lip and there is no locscness of the upper that requires to be tightened after the inseam ing operation, nor is there any chance for the upper to bulge or spread outwardly under the heel attaching pressure because it is firmly attached to the base of the innersole li and cannot move outwardly as it could iP attached to the upper edge of the lip which can tip sidewise. y

Another advantage is found in the compactness of the stock at the shank and heel breast which is obtained by litting the stiff ener flange firmly down upon the innersole feather. This brings the `upper and the welt nearer to the plane of the innersole, giving a shoe vand at the same .distance from the heel end of all shoes of the same size. The incisions 15 like the lips 10 may be made during the manufacture of the heel stiifeners and as a part of the molding or 'some other f making operation. To mold a heel stifener g5 to present at its ends an upstanding lip extending backwardlyas far as the lip of the innersole and adapted to stand against the outer face of the innersole whereby the stilfener flange conforms to the shape of the feather and lip when the stileneris assembled in a shoe is a new step in the manufacture of shoes. .i

Having explained the nature ofthis in vention and described how it may be pra-e795 tised, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. ThatA improvement in methods of making Welt vshoes which consists in molding a heel stilfener to present at Ithe front portion '100 of each wing an inturned flange and an upturned lip, assembling said stiffener and a lipped 'innersole inA coperative relation, with said stiflener lips eontiguous't the innersole lips, and ,sewing the lips of the stiliener and innersole together.

2. That improvement in methods of making welt shoes which consists in molding a. heel stillnener to present atthe'front portion of each wing a lip shaped to standv upwardly 11@ from the face of the innersole at the same distance inwardly from the edge of the assembled, shoe as the outer face of the innersole lip, fassembling parts ofthe shoe includv ing said stifener, an innersole and an upper,

and lasting theslioe with said lips of the stifener and innersole in'contact with each other.

3. That improvement in methods of making welt slices which consists in molding a heel 12o stilfener prior to the lasting operation to present at the front portion of each wing an up# turned lip, assembling the stilfener and an innersole with said lip standing up edgewise relatively to the facev of the inner sole from the heel seat forwardly along the shank and securing the stiflener to the innersole.

4. That improvement in methods of making welt shoes which consists in slitting a heel still'ener from its inner edge-outwardly at 130 meissie points which will come under the heel of the shoe, moldingthe stifener to form at the rear thereof between the slits a flange to lie throughout its'width upon theheel seat face of the inner sole, and to form from said slits forwardly ianges of less width to lie on the eathero the innersolel and lips projecting at substantially right anglestc said anges to stand against and parallel to theouter face 1o of the lip of the innersole, assembling the shoe1 and sewing the lips of the irmersole and stiii'ener together.

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes'which consists in forming a heel stiii'- ener at each side of the heel with a normally upturned portion arranged to indicate 'the points for the beginning and the ending of vthe inseam, assembling and lasting the shoe and inseaming the shoe from one indication point around the dorepart to the other indication point.

G. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in forming a heel stiener at each side of the heel with 'a normally upturned portion adapted to stand exposed to sight above the innersole lip in a lasted shoe and arranged to indicate to the inseamer the points at which to begin and to end the welt attaching seam, and inseaming the shoe 3o from the indicatedA point on one side around the toe to the other indicated point on the other side of the shoe.

7. That improvement in methods o making welt shoes which consists in forming a heel stiener with an inturned ange at the front portion of each wing and an upturned lip at the inner edge of the flange, assembling upon 'a last the stiffener sovformed, together with yan innersole and an upper, with said upaeiurned lips adjacent to the lips of the innersole, lasting the upper over the inturned flange of the stifener with the inner edgept the upper extending upwardly against the stiffener lip, and securing` said innersole' lip,

stidener lip and upper permanently together in said lasted position.

8. That improvement in methods of making welt shoes which consists in molding a heel stiffener to pilesent at 'the front portion of each wing an upturned lip located to stand at the same distance inwardly from thel edgeof the assembled shoe as the outer face of the innersole lip, assembling the stifener and innersole with said lips adj acont to each other, lasting the shoe, and securing said parts permanently in assembled relation.

`l l hat improvementin'methods of making welt shoes which consists in shaping a heel a wing portion of a heel stiener as to conform it to the angle between the feather and the lip o1 the innersole and to form thereon a normally upright lip located to stand against the lip of the innersole in a plane substantially normal tothe plane of the heel seat, and then sewing the inseam with the needle passing through said stidenerlip in a direction substantially normal to the plane oflsaid lip and close to the plane of the innerso e.

1l. That improvement in methods of making welt shoes whichl consists in shaping a Wing portion of a heel stiii'ener by molding pressure to conform it closely to the angle between the feather and the lip of the innersole and to form thereon a normally upright lip, and sewing the inseam with the needle passing through said stilener lip in a direction substantially normal to the plane of said lipA and close to the plane of the innerso e. i

12. That improvement in methods of making welt shoes which consists in shaping a wing portion-oi' a. heel sti'ener by`molding pressure toi conform it closely to the angle between th'efeather' and the lip of the innersole and to form thereon a normally upright lip, and terminating the rear end of saidI stiii'ener lip at-the distance from the rear end of the sti'ener at which the inseam stitching should terminate to indicate to a welt sewing machine operator the point at which the inseam should begin, hssembling said stillener with upper materials closely about the heel end of a last to locate said in f dication point lengthwise of the shoe, 'and .sewing the inseam from said indicated point with the Yneedle passing through said still'- ener lip in a direction substantially normal to the plane of said lip land close to the plane' of the innersole.

In testimony ywhereof I have signed my name .to this specifica-tion in the presence of; two subscribing witnesses. y HERBERT J. PERY Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. RUSSELL,

n HERBERT W. KENWAY. 

